Transforming Urban Living: The Benefits of a Kleingarten

Kleingärten — allotment gardens, offer numerous advantages for urban living. These small garden plots provide an escape from city life, promoting psychological and physical well-being through gardening activities. They encourage nature friendly practices, enhancing sustainability and reducing urban carbon footprints. Kleingärten creates strong sense of community spirit as neighbors share gardening tips and socialise.

In Vienna, we have many centrally located Kleingärten. Living in a Viennese Kleingarten is almost like living in a village within the city. These gardens also serve as private recreational spaces for relaxation and family activities and support urban biodiversity by providing habitats for various plants and animals. The experience of living there is simply magical.

In our architectural studio, we view Kleingärten as decentralised residential buildings organised horizontally. They act as positive green buffers and the lounges of the city. Viennese people love Kleingärten, and they are deeply embedded in the culture. Many families use Kleingärten as summer recreation spaces; however, as the Viennese Building Code (Wiener Bauordnung) allows us architects to design very attractive small houses for families to live in year-round, there is more and more families living through whole year inside their Kleingärten. Embracing Kleingärten leads to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.